How can it be the middle of February already? In a culture of now, the idea of giving something up for Lent seems foreign. Others suggest of taking on a new spiritual practice. While I fully believe that the Holy Spirit turns our hearts to God through both fasting and prayer, the reality is that many of us feel pressed for time.
If what you need right now needs to be both simple and meaningful, here are a few things I suggest:
Lenten Devotionals- all free:
Walk this Way – devotions, wonderings, and prayers based on children’s picture books. This one crossed my feed late last night and I am very impressed.
Journey with Jesus– 40 curated poems. This is the devotional we will be using at the church. I will be hosting 3 local conversations at a coffee shop in Wilmette, IL. If you are local and would like to attend, please email me using the link on the right-hand side bar.
#PictureLent- daily email or social media. Two amazing deacon colleagues are putting this resource together again this year. I had the privilege of writing the post for March 1.
Living Well Through Lent – .pdf download. This is another resources from Living Compass, a group doing great work connecting spirituality and wellness.
Praying in Color Download. Choose one thing to pray for each day, write it in the space, and then doodle as you pray. Easy, meaningful, and beautiful.
Ground yourself in Lent using the March Groundedness Bracket I created.
Ash Wednesday with Children and Parents:
Our Ash Wednesday service for families this year will be simple:
-
-
- Gather
- Read Stars Beneath Your Your Bed and wonder what it means to be made of the same ordinary stuff as everything else.
- Receive ashes
- Pray
-
Need a coloring page or a prayer station? My Etsy shop has downloads available for a very modest price. Your purchase offsets the cost to maintain this website in ad free form.
And, just in case you missed it, I recently organized 25 resources I created for Lent and Easter into one document. The Planning Guide for Lent and Easter includes tools for parents, take home resources, intergenerational faith formation ideas, Easter children’s messages, and a bonus Easter Welcome Checklist
Gracious and Holy One, as we enter into this season of preparing for the mystery of Easter, turn our hearts to you through prayer and devotion. Give us the humility to recognize that we are human. Give us strength to resist the pull of busyness and over scheduling. Give us imagination and vision to see the ways you are making all things new each and every day. Renew and restore our faith and hope in the love of your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
Christine V Hides 
One thought